Les Bleus booked their place at the finals via a playoff after finishing second in their qualifying group behind Spain, but Zidane insists Didier Deschamps' side has the ability mount a challenge at next year's tournament.

”They have a good chance. The players are already gearing up for it,” he told FIFA.com. “They have what it takes: France have the players to make an impact.”

The former midfielder knows what is required to win claim the game's biggest prize, having scored twice in in the 1998 World Cup final as France beat Brazil 3-0 in Paris. However, he has warned his compatriots that they must rise to the challenge.

“Like I have said before, [France] will have to be ready when the moment of truth arrives," he continued. “We can speculate about how good they are now, but it's in six months' time that they will need to be firing on all cylinders and prepared to do something big.”

France has been drawn in Group E alongside Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras in what was viewed as a very favorable draw for Les Bleus, but Zidane has warned Deschamps' men against complacency.

“There used to be a big gulf between the big guns and the rest, but that gap has really narrowed.”